The Tangled Web Rules

Welcome to The Tangled Web's rules page. In an effort to provide a friendly community for everyone, we have a few rules to follow, but our #1 most important rule is this - don't be a jerk!

This rule is simple and easy to abide by. While you are free to disagree with folks around here, just don't be a jerk about it. If you're going to criticize a post, do it respectfully. It's really simple. If you have questions about it, feel free to PM a Staff Member for further clarification.

We don't have a lot of rules that describe exactly how you should behave here, but we have a list of things you should definitely not do. Our entire rule list is as follows:

• Rule #1 - Don't be a jerk. That should be self-explanatory and pretty much cover everything, but if you still need more than that, it basically means no trolling, no bullying, no spamming, and no flaming. We want a kind, polite, clean, and supportive community, so typical internet comment section nonsense behavior will not be tolerated here.

• Rule #2 - Do not start new threads in the Recruiting Office unless you are posting to recruit players for a game that is ready to play, already has a GM, and is going to be run on this site. If you're using only MapTool, Roll20, OpenRPG, Skype, Discord, or any combination of those, that's okay, too, as long as you aren't trying to direct people to a different gaming forum website at any point, and if you'd like something added to that list, PM a Staff Member and we'll check it out.

• Rule #3 - Do not post in anyone's game forum unless you are a part of the game. If you wish to ask a GM to join his game after it has begun and there is no recruitment thread, politely PM him.

• Rule #4 - Do not post anything that you would be ashamed of if your mother were to see it. No pornographic material. We don't mind some casual swearing just like most media but don't overdo it, and try not to do it at all in the very public threads. Breaking this rule will earn you a 2-point infraction instead of just 1.

• Rule #5 - All Users must be age 13 or older. This is a United States Law (COPPA). If you're found to be in violation of this one, it's worth 4 points, so you'll jump straight to being Banned.

• Rule #6 - Do not post, anywhere on this site, a recruitment ad for something being run on another website. Any form of recruitment for something being run on a different website (outside of what is detailed in Rule #2) is a punishable offense. If you are unsure, just ask a Staff Member first before recruiting.

• Rule #7 - Do not post, anywhere on this site, 'Player Looking for Game' ads, except in the special Players Looking for Games forum.

• Rule #8 - Do not create posts that only serve to advertise yourself or someone else, your or someone's company, another website that you like, or any activity or performance that you or someone else will be sharing, be it live or pre-recorded, simply for the purpose of recruiting an audience. Our userbase is not a resource for you to use for your own personal gain. If you're unsure about your situation, PM a Staff Member first.

• Rule #9 - Do not create multiple accounts. This will cause all of your accounts to receive a 4 point infraction, so all of your accounts will be permanently Banned.

• Rule #10 - Do not cheat. Don't even try. A lot of code-based measures are already in place that can catch you and alert us Staff Members to it without you even knowing, but we're all so seasoned at this point that we can really just spot your attempts to cheat from a mile away even without the software's help.

• Rule #11 - No unintelligible nonsense. Sadly, our English-speaking Users are, for some reason, sometimes bigger offenders here than those for whom English is a second language. Here's the deal - just try to make a post that makes sense and is readable. If you aren't perfect but you're putting in the effort, then that's fine. But if you regularly submit posts that have no spaces, no punctuation, misspelled words, text message shorthand, and other nuisances like that on a site built around typing stories to each other, then you might find yourself asked to either improve your performance or find somewhere else to get your online roleplaying fix. Posts that look like a text message that was written in five seconds are not allowed. No posts allowed that a first grade teacher wouldn't accept.

• Rule #12 - If a Staff Member Closes your thread, do not reopen it yourself. It was Closed for a reason and you should ask a Staff Member if you don't understand why. It's usually because your thread was either quiet for a week or it hit the two-week time limit. Reopening the thread yourself will just force us to Delete the thread and you'll also receive an infraction.

• Rule #13 - Do not create threads in the Virtual Tabletop Campaigns forum or the Play by Post Campaigns forum. Those areas are reserved for Users who are have already recruited players for their game and have gone through the process of requesting their own game forum.

And I really want to stress, one more time, just for good measure, that our number one and most important rule is don't be a jerk!

Unless otherwise noted, infractions are worth 1 point each. They stay with you for 30 days and then go away if you've managed to be on your best behavior for that long. If you accumulate 3 points, you'll be automatically Banned for a week. If you accumulate 4 points, you'll be automatically Banned forever.

More rules may be added to this list if necessary, but these are all that are required right now and are the most important. Please do your best not to require us to have to add to the list.

Note: If you're new and you can't access the PM function, try making a few posts around the site. The PM function will unlock after you do so. This is a security measure implemented to foil the dastardly PM spammers.

TTW uses a Reputation feature. If you come across a person that has posted something you like, you can click on the little starburst icon at the bottom of the post box and add to their Reputation. As a member’s Reputation grows, a green bar will begin to fill up under their Username and Title. It's a nice way to show that you appreciate someone's time and effort. If your current Reputation Power is 0, any Rep you give to someone will not add to their total. However, after you've received Positive Reputation a few times, your Power will begin to grow, and your Positive Reputation will begin to actually add to other Users' Reputation scores. The quickest way to increase your Reputation Power is by receiving Positive Reputation. And what's the best way to receive Positive Reputation? Leaving some for others first.

Reputation is one good way to know if a player or GM on this site is established and trustworthy, since Join Date is not always an accurate indicator of this.

Please try to understand that there are already several electronic measures in place to prevent cheating, but the Staff Members are also experts at spotting attempts to cheat. Trust us. We've been doing this longer than you think, and any idea you think you have to game the system has already been tried and has already failed.

If you have any issues or questions you can always contact any Staff Member for assistance.